Ypulse Interview: Daniel Neal, CEO, kajeet
Posted by anastasia on 09-04-2007
There has been so much buzz about how kids are getting their first cell phones younger and younger inspiring the need for “parental controls.” In fact AT&T just announced it is launching “Smart Limits,” with options like limiting talk time, text messages, instant messages, and Web content and downloads. Of course, well before AT&T’s announcement, kajeet was offering all of this to parents (plus tween friendly content). Daniel Neal will be presenting a case study (sponsored by Swivel) about kajeet at the Ypulse Tween Mashup on September 28th in NYC. Register now (for the “early adopter” discount) and learn more about what kajeet is doing in the tween mobile space.
Ypulse: Playing devil’s advocate: Do tweens really need their own cell phones?
Daniel Neal: There’s no denying that almost every tween wants a cell phone, but no, not all tweens need one. We don’t advocate that. In our society, many factors make cell phones a useful and powerful tool for kids and families, one that can enhance convenience, connectedness and safety. Every family will decide for itself whether cell phones work for their kids. At kajeet, we’ve put a lot of thought and effort into making sure families and kids can customize their kajeet cell phone service to meet their particular needs, and to ensure that the content available on kajeet cell phones is appropriate for kids.
YP: How did you guys come up with your little alien-like characters?
DN: kajeet’s six little dudes represent six different personalities in which almost all kids can see themselves. They are featured throughout our marketing campaigns and in our service itself, an ever-present reminder of who our company serves.
YP: How do you position kajeet against competitors like Disney Mobile?
DN: kajeet is different because it is a pay-as-you-go service with no long-term contracts, no need for mom or dad to switch their plan, and no activation or cancellation or other hidden fees. Our service plan and Wallet Manager enable families to help kids budget responsibly and for parents to always get through to their children. kajeet is the only cell phone service truly made from a kid’s point of view. Our services, handsets and content are all about putting kids’ needs and interests first, while always being thoughtful from a parent’s perspective.
YP: What are the top three features parents say they want in a phone/plan? What about tweens?
DN: Parents – affordability, ease-of-use/simplicity, reliability
Tweens – cool-looking (and not babyish) handsets, lots of features (text messaging, IM, relevant games and ringtones, a camera, alarm clock), the ability to personalize their handset and service
YP: Tell me about your venture into Whyville (another Mashup speaker)…
DN: We partnered with Whyville because together we empower kids to communicate with each other in new and exciting ways. We consider our partnership, which is fairly new, a success — within the first four weeks of opening, tens of thousands of Whyville citizens had visited the “kajeet Chat Factory” and discovered the fun and useful things they can do there.
YP: Anything else you think Ypulse readers should know?
DN: kajeet is much more than “just a cell phone company.” We are all about providing kids and their families with mobile computing platforms that are always networked, and we do this in a way that always puts kids first and thoughtfully addresses the issue of children and technology.
Categorized under: Tween Mashup